“This incident is incredibly disappointing because these catchments provide water for all wildlife when natural water sources are not available — especially given this year’s limited monsoon rainfall,” Brown said.

“Sportsmen, along with the department, have spent so much labor, money and time improving water availability for wildlife and it’s tragic that someone chose to vandalize this water catchment.”

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call the AZGFD vandalism hotline at 1-800-826-3257.

The Arizona Elk Society is offering up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.

The agency maintains about 3,000 catchments throughout the state and has distributed more than 1.5 million gallons of water since January 2018.